Taking a leaf out of the Kate Winslet Book of Self-Deprecation for English Roses, Carey Mulligan has told US Vogue she would love to appear in an episode of Glee but has been told she is "not famous enough". This assertion, I should reiterate, comes in an interview for the world's most influential fashion magazine, the cover of which Ms Mulligan adorns.
The Oscar-nominated actress, 25, earned this privilege for her starring role in Oliver Stone's Wall Street sequel, Money Never Sleeps, which she also helped to publicise with an appearance this week on Jay Leno's talk show – the highest-rated in the US. And yet, America, she remains "not famous enough" to be on Glee.
Taking a leaf out of Zooey Deschanel's Book of Multi-Tasking for Kooky Indie Chicks (specifically the chapter co-authored by Scarlett Johansson), Mulligan recorded an unofficial audition for Glee, lending her vocals to "Write About Love", the charming new single by the twee Scottish band Belle and Sebastian. Are you listening yet, Yanks?
* Tom McCarthy, author of the experimental novel C, does a good job of hiding his elation at being shortlisted for this year's Man Booker Prize. "It's nice and everything, but what matters is writing good books, right? I mean, Kafka never won a prize," he told me at Tuesday's party to celebrate the shortlist announcement. More importantly, though, is he worried about inadvertently losing sales to the somewhat less experimental Jonathan Franzen? Franzen's publisher, you see, has reissued his last novel, The Corrections, to match the cover design for his new one, Freedom. The cover for the reissue features nothing but a big "C" – almost identical to McCarthy's book. "Erm... I don't know," replied McCarthy, worriedly, when I informed him of this. "But it's got erections on the cover, too, right?" Excuse me? Oh, you mean "'orrections". No, actually, it doesn't.
* Salman Rushdie, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen at the Booker event. Despite being the immensely proud recipient of the "Booker of Bookers" for 1981's Midnight's Children , the clever-clogs author, 63, hasn't been shortlisted for the prize for 15 years (and hasn't won since '81). On Monday, I caught up with him at the premiere of his chum Stephen Frears's latest film, Tamara Drewe, and reminded him of the imminent announcement of the shortlist, but he professed ignorance. "Oh, is that this week?" he replied. "I had no idea. I don't really keep up with these things." I believe you, Salman. Thousands wouldn't.
* News that the former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, holder of more England caps than any other footballer, is to take part in Strictly Come Dancing , drew me back to my well-thumbed copy of the gloved legend's 2004 autobiography, Peter Shilton: The Autobiography. It seems that Shilton, 60, may have an unfair advantage over Kensit, Widdecombe et al. In the mid-1970s, at the height of his playing career, he sought the advice of a champion ballroom dancer in the hope of improving his footwork. "Len Hepple was the father-in-law of Bryan 'Pop' Robson, a prolific goal-scorer for Newcastle United, Sunderland and West Ham," Shilton (or his ghostwriter) writes. "Len was [also] a brilliant ballroom dancer, who had innovative ideas concerning balance, foot movement and running." Rob Green, take note.
* Arriving at GQ's Men of the Year Awards, the BBC political editor Nick Robinson said he'd started reading the magazine when he was given a subscription last Christmas. Was it, I wonder, for the political coverage or for the style tips? A former chairman of the Young Tories, Robinson will no doubt enjoy the input of GQ's new columnist, the Culture minister Ed Vaizey. The latest issue also contains a feature on the irresistible rise of David Cameron – GQ's 2010 Politician of the Year (and for three of the last five years, Boris Johnson and George Osborne being the other recent winners). Politics aside, I note that Robinson is a snappy dresser, too. He shares remarkably similar taste in spectacles and barbering with GQ's editor, style arbiter and author of Cameron on Cameron: Conversations with Dylan Jones, Dylan Jones.
highstreetken@independent.co.uk
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